Fixing the Medical System

Many people have many issues with our current health care system. Mine personally is the cost more than anything else. I often wonder why I pay about $1,000 a month for what I use maybe once every 6 months or less.

I figure that if I go to the doctors office, and pay $250 cash for each visit, I could go 4 times a month and break even. Why, oh why?

So, here is my thought on what we can do to help fix this, and other issues that are found within our medical system.

Reform filing methods to Medicare and Medicaid. Along with this, make a standard set of filling requirements that any normal person can use to file a claim. This includes defining a standard for claims submissions between providers and payors
Make Medicare and Medicaid reimburse doctors directly, and within 30 days of recieving the claim.
Force the FDA to properly do thier job.
Allow more "Alternative Medican" - Just because you are scare of it, doesn't mean someone else isn't willing to try it.
Allow pharacutical companies to hold their copyright for longer than 20 years (of which the first 5-10 years is eaten up before the drug is even on the market). I propose 50 years.
Allow citizens and small businesses to write off all medical costs (unless we actually switch to my flat tax system) from their taxes.
Stop allowing Illegal Aliens to have any medical coverage in our system. Period.
Try to get people to not to go and get 10 MRI's just because they have a bruise on their shin. For an example, lets look at Swine Flu.
Create a federal "catastrophic" policy that covers the major things that would normally cost people $50,000 or more.
Levy a 1% surtax on all health-care billings and use the proceeds as a fund for ERs that meet the rules. Tell hospitals and medical centers that if they want to dip into this new 1% fund, they have to put a lower-cost walk-in clinic under the same roof as the ER. Demand further that the clinic be open 24/7 and staffed with primary-care professionals who can deal with asthma attacks, ear infections, flu shots, standard screening tests and other nonemergencies on a cash basis. (got this from
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/29/news/economy/grove_column.fortune/index.htm)
Provide a simple health-record system: a file of the stored images of faxed documents, retrievable by electronic locks (a combination of passwords and security codes kept on a chip). By doing so, you will allow patients to "carry" records of their treatment from the ER or clinic to a doctor near their home.
Of the $440,000 the average American spends on health care in his lifetime, $280,000 will be spent after age 65. Probably 50% of that post-65 outlay goes to assisted-living facilities and nursing homes. Now, what can we do about this?
Allow antitrust lawsuits to be brought to the insurance industry.
Force all hospitals, pharmacies and doctors to publish their costs, and charges on the internet, and keep them updated at least quarterly. This should include what insurance policies they will accept or which ones they will not.
Restore funding for physical education in schools
Stop employer choosen insurance. Allow the employer to say they are going to pay up to $? dollars per month/year, and the consumer can then use that either to pay the total amount or a portion of their choosen health care insurance.
Don't allow insurance companies to exclude because of "pre-existing conditions". They may charge more for it, but they must offer a plan to cover someone. This may include exclusion of benifits related to illness that may be caused by the pre-existing conditions, but not exclusion of non related benifits, or denial of coverage for things that are not easily and directly related to the pre-existing condition.
Don't allow insurance companies to limit what doctors or hospitals people can go to, only the doctors and hospitals can choose what insurance not to accept.
Change the Farm Bill, which currently subsidizes crops that profit agribusiness at the expense of family farmers. This will result in healthier foods becoming cheaper for all rather than supporting the processed food industry, which has fueled the current obesity epidemic.
Set regulations to all insurance companies at a federal level. After this regulation has been defined, and decided on, allow insurance companies to sell benifits, and allow consumers to purchase insurance plans across state lines.
Force insurance companies to create a fixed price system that charges individuals, regardless of sex or age, the same amount.

Any questions, comments, opinions, please contact me at: gjconely<at>gmail.com

I do not know everything. If people have any real good insight or information that I am missing, please sent it to me.

All comments, suggestions, questions, etc... may, and probably will, be posted on this site. I will exclude your name if requested.

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Any questions, comments, opinions, please contact me at: gjconely<at>gmail.com

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